You want to change networks, but your new SIM card won’t work in your phone. Baffled, you call the new network, only to learn that your smartphone is locked to the first network, and there’s not much you can do about it.

A SIM Unlock Is Not Rooting

Before we proceed with our look at unlocking Android phones, let’s briefly look at what unlocking the network/SIM is, and what it is not.

It’s simply the process by which you enter a specially-generated code into your phone’s keypad in order to break the restriction placed on the device by the network that shipped it. This enables you to insert a compatible SIM card from a different network and connect to their service.

Is Your Phone SIM Locked?

Not all phones are SIM/network locked. To find out if yours is, you can begin by checking the documentation for the device. If the word “unlocked” appears on the initial receipt/invoice, you can be largely certain that it is not locked to a particular carrier.

You can, of course, contact your carrier to ask if the phone is locked to their network, or you can just try another SIM card with the phone. If you pop in a SIM from a different carrier and it doesn’t work, you know it’s locked.

Phones bought directly from a manufacturer or third-party retailer like Motorola, OnePlus, or Amazon for an unsubsidized price (usually $500-$700) are more likely to be unlocked than phones purchased from carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T for subsidized prices (usually free to $200).

But if you’ve discovered that your Android phone is locked to a particular carrier/network, how can you unlock it?

SIM Unlock App Scams

The first thing you should not do is head to Google Play and look for SIM unlock tools. These services have very poor reputations and are more than likely scams. At best, they don’t unlock your phone for you.

Begin by finding out if your phone can be unlocked. There is an eligibility clause on smartphones bought on contract, and if the initial two-year deal isn’t yet up, then you’ll need to pay an early termination fee to break the contract, get the unlock code, and be free to use another SIM.

For those of you who bought your phones outright, usually you’ll need to wait a full 12 months from the time of purchase, and ensure that your bill is paid up to date before the network will give you the unlock code.

In Android, the IMEI number can be quickly found by dialing *#06# or by opening Settings > About phone > Status > IMEI Information. With this 15-digit string handed over, the network should be able to provide you with a PIN code to enable your device to use the new network’s SIM card.

(Note that the full process can differ across networks, and your new network may require you to input a specific code to work with that carrier.)

This is particularly useful if you’re travelling overseas, for instance, and don’t have a dual SIM device.

While American carriers are not permitted to charge for this service, in the UK and Europe your network may charge a small administrative fee for unlocking your phone.

Find a Reputable Smartphone Unlock Service

If your network is not accommodating requests to unlock your phone, then you can try one of the reputable online smartphone unlock services. However, finding such a service can be difficult.

We would advise that you only use such a service if you’re absolutely desperate and there is no way that your network will unlock the device. These sites, which require your IMEI for creating the unlock code, are unregulated, and while there is a certain amount of protection afforded from making a payment via PayPal, they’re not always reliable.

Did You Unlock Your Device?

SIM unlocking your smartphone or tablet isn’t ideal for everyone. We would recommend that you spend a good deal of time weighing up the pros and cons of this process, and what you hope to gain from such a move.

Bought code from optus website and I don't know where to input it, I have an oppo f1 optus locked and on.their website they have no instructions on how to do it, I put a non optus sim and when I turn it on it says network lock and I either press dismiss or emergency call, nowhere to put my $80 code, please help

If anyone is having a problem with their code or is looking for a place to get a code to unlock their phone, I would suggest giving unlockyoursim.com a go. It doesn’t cost at all, you just need to complete a short survey (I know, one of those!) but it worked for me so.. it’s worth trying out.